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Jason Grilli’s name will never be raised to the Level of Excellence at the Rogers Centre with the Blue Jays’ immortals, but for 184 games from May 31, 2016 until Tuesday — when manager John Gibbons told the veteran his services were no longer needed — he had been an important piece of the club’s ever-changing bullpen puzzle.

The 40-year-old Michigan native brought emotion and wisdom to a nomadic encampment of relievers that often seemed like it featured a revolving door of young, untested pitchers behind closer Roberto Osuna. The fact is, it can be easier for young players to share their fears and failures with a fellow player who has been there, done that, rather than a coach. Grilli was always open to that mentor role.

Everything Grilli did was with genuine emotion, whether that included the successes of 2016 or the failures of 2017. Above his locker when he left, instead of his name, was a handwritten message for teammates: “Stay in the fight.”

Grilli had been called into the manager’s office mid-afternoon Tuesday, where he was told he was being designated for assignment. That means the club has 10 days to make a trade or, in Grilli’s case, offer him his release so that he can find another job as a free agent. The Jays owe him about $1.6 million U.S., the amount remaining on the option year of a contract they picked up in November. The Jays suggested they won’t wait the full available time before setting him free.

“He was struggling,” Gibbons said. “We really couldn’t find a role. In that role he was pitching in, we needed multiple innings at times. We weren’t using him to do that. He couldn’t do that.

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“Some of the other guys that pitched so well had moved into his role. This will hopefully give him a fresh start somewhere else. Maybe he’ll go and do for somebody what he did for us last year. He really saved us last year. It got to the point where he wasn’t getting steady work. I control all that, but other guys were pitching better. It was really tough finding him some work.”

Grilli did not hang around to speak to the media — not out of disrespect, but more likely out of emotion. He had travel arrangements to make to get back to his wife and two boys, and had to let them know he was on his way home.

Grilli was often willing to share his emotions. Some of his favourite moments as a major-league father were when he had his sons with him in the clubhouse or on the field at the Rogers Centre. Some of Grilli’s favourite major-league moments were with his own dad, former Tiger and Blue Jay Steve Grilli, in the clubhouse or on the field at Tiger Stadium or in Syracuse with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate at that time.

After being an important setup man for the Jays on their way to a wild-card berth following his acquisition from the Braves last May, Grilli began 2017 in the same role with high expectations for a contender, but struggled in high-leverage situations. For the season he is 2-4 with a 6.97 ERA in 26 games, allowing nine home runs in 20 2/3 innings — including four in one game against the Yankees on June 3. At 40, he is not a multiple-innings man and has no minor-league options.

“There’s excuses, there’s reasons,” Grilli said in an interview this month. “I’m not going to list the reasons, but I know what they were. This is a long season and I’m trying not to draw any parallels (with last year). I had to make some adjustments and I don’t even want to go there. I take sole responsibility for when I stink. No one feels worse when you’re out there trying to win and you’re put in a situation to do the job and you let your team and the manager down …”

Meanwhile, other Jays pitchers blessed with options — including Ryan Tepera, Danny Barnes and Dominic Leone — had been stepping up their games over the first two months, earning work in more important late-game situations. Also, right-hander Joe Smith had established himself as a reliable eighth-inning guy and will be back soon from the disabled list. And when Aaron Sanchez returns to the rotation it’s likely interim starter Joe Biagini will be headed back to the ’pen as well. That’s a crowded house.

“It really came down to how he was being used and what he’s best at, and those two things not matching up for us,” general manager Ross Atkins explained, about the timing of their painful parting of the ways. “He’s been someone that has impacted the Blue Jays in such a positive way, which made it extremely difficult. He’s as professional as they come. He’s been a leader for us. But we felt it was best for the other six or seven guys in the ’pen to have some more versatility there.”

Replacing Grilli on the 25-man roster is right-hander Chris Smith, a 28-year-old with no major-league experience. He was promoted last September but did not get into a game. In 2017, he was 1-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 14 games for Triple-A Buffalo with two walks and 15 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings. Like many in the Jays’ revolving-door bullpen, he has remaining options.

The Jays made a second move on Tuesday, activating outfielder Ezequiel Carrera from the 10-day DL. He had been out with a fractured right foot. To make room on the roster, the club optioned outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. back to the Bisons. They have used 21 pitchers and 20 position players in the first 75 games.

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